With a somewhat early start, I finally arrived in Canyonlands (Needles.) The campsites aren't filling up first thing anymore, so there was no rush. The weather was pleasant so I hit a fewer of the shorter trails I hadn't been on before. I was a little concerned, as I'd never hiked in the shoes I'd brought before. As it turns out, they worked well - no blisters, etc.

Above is a typical trail. The cairns mark the way. These trails are pretty easy to follow; even without the cairns, you can see a path, sometimes just as a discoloration/wear on the rock itself.

One of the small loops takes you to a large rock structure, unusual for the overhang that seems to go around it for quite a ways. The overhang is deep, at times 30', providing ample protection from the elements all day long, and dropping the ambient temperature substantially. Better yet: there is a small spring, where a bit of water seeps through the walls.

In such an arid climate, this place is basically like a giant bar of gold, with a swimming pool and stacks of pizza.

Cowboys camped here for brief periods while moving cattle through the area, and is a small corral and tools and tables still here. On some of the walls there are graffiti and paintings, some from the cowboys, and some from ancient people whoe lived here almost 1000 years ago.

The pcitured overhang is almost a little cave-like, and was particularly cool.